Officer Afloat In Sea Of Tv Green

Millionaire Navy Lieutenant Looks To Boost `Twenty One' Winnings

David Legler is a millionaire, and he may win another $750,000 during his third appearance Wednesday on the NBC game show "Twenty One," but it's not like he can just quit his job.

Legler, a 29-year-old lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, has won $1,015,000 in two shows that aired Feb. 9 and Monday. He'll get at least that much, less taxes, in a lump sum payment 90 days from today. But until November, he has a contract with Uncle Sam to continue recruiting officers for submarines and nuclear surface ships at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in North Chicago.

"It's not so quick to get out of the Navy," said Legler, who recruits throughout the central United States. Besides, he added, "I'm not ready to leave my job just yet."

Only Legler's wife and parents know if he wins the additional $750,000 on Wednesday's program, which was taped Feb. 5 in Los Angeles. His friends and family will have to watch during a party he is throwing at his house when the program airs at 7 p.m.

"I thought it would be more fun to let people watch it unfold," Legler said, adding only that Wednesday would be his last appearance on the program, "at least for a while."

On "Twenty One," contestants play until they lose. Legler, of Lindenhurst, could become the highest-grossing contestant on the program, and in the history of TV game shows, if he wins big Wednesday, said Lisa Burks, a publicist for the show. If he doesn't, the $1,015,000 leaves him in second place, Burks said, adding that the record is $1.4 million on Fox's "Greed."

Capt. Joe Belinski, who is Legler's commander, said he is curious to know whether Legler won the additional money, but stopped short of ordering him to reveal the information.

"He's been keeping it a secret from us, too, trying to build the suspense," said Belinski, adding that Legler's winnings are the talk of the office. "Everyone is really happy for him. But we're all talking about how we'd spend the money."

Legler will use the money to finish his MBA at the University of Chicago, a pursuit he started before he was recruited to be a contestant on "Twenty One." In fact, Legler submitted his resignation to the Navy earlier this year so he could focus on finishing his degree.

"I'll be continuing with that . . . maybe take it a little slower and have some fun," Legler said. "Though, I will be taking plenty of finance classes to see how much money I can turn this into."

Belinski said Legler was a top recruiter, meeting 100 percent of his goals during one of the toughest periods for military recruiting in one of the toughest programs to find qualified candidates.

"Everybody he prepped for the nuclear interview passed," he said. "He's one of the best in the business."

Legler said there were only a couple of questions that made him worry, particularly one in the Los Angeles category that read: "What landmark had to be rebuilt in 1978 after the earthquake?" He credits his father, whom he could call on during the program, with helping him make an educated guess. They decided it was the Hollywood sign. And they were right.

Legler, who grew up in the Quad Cities, read about the show's talent search in December on an Internet newsgroup. He made the phone call and passed several rounds of tests and interviews in his third attempt to get on a game show. He had tried to get on "College Jeopardy" a few years ago and recently tried for ABC's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

"I passed their phone test about 25 times, but they never called me back," Legler said. "But I'm not too disappointed about that at this point."